Recent White House Report Recognizes the Long Beach College Promise

A White House report released this week recognizes the Long Beach College Promise as one of the successful local initiatives used to help develop America’s College Promise, which aims to provide more college access and affordability for millions across the nation.

The report, titled “America’s College Promise: Progress Report on Free Community College,” was released September 9, the same day President Obama launched a national College Promise campaign and a promotional effort, “Heads Up America.” The initiatives promote expanded access to community colleges and highlight the value and significance of a free community college education for all responsible students.

The report notes that the Long Beach College Promise has provided a more structured transition for transfer students and a free first semester for thousands of Long Beach students.

“The success of the program has become a model for other California schools,” the report states.

The citation from the White House is the latest accolade for the Long Beach College Promise. Other recent recognitions include acceptance as an official Clinton Global Initiative Commitments to Action, $5 million State of California award for Innovation in Higher Education and the 2014 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award.

The Long Beach College Promise began in 2008 as collaboration between the Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach City College and California State University, Long Beach to increase the success of local students in higher education. The City of Long Beach joined the partnership last year, with a focus on early education and internships.

The Long Beach College Promise partners will be hosting a community event on September 24 at Long Beach City College to celebrate recent achievements and discuss plans for the future.